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Landscape of Chimeric RNAs in Non-Cancerous Cells

Chen Chen1, Samuel Haddox2, Yue Tang1

  • 1School of Basic Medical Sciences, Academy of Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, Henan Province, China.

Genes
|April 3, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Chimeric RNAs, once thought to be cancer-specific, are also found in normal cells. This study identifies and characterizes these novel chimeric RNAs, revealing their widespread presence across various cell types and tissues.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genomics
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Gene fusions and their products are hallmarks of cancer, serving as biomarkers and drug targets.
  • Recent findings indicate that chimeric RNAs from intergenic alternative splicing occur in normal cells and tissues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize chimeric RNAs in non-neoplastic cell lines.
  • To investigate the expression landscape of novel candidate chimeric RNAs.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized HEK-293T, HUVEC, and LO2 cell lines for RNA sequencing.
  • Performed paired-end RNA sequencing and comprehensive bioinformatic analyses for chimeric RNA profiling.
  • Applied stringent filtering criteria to characterize the chimeric RNA landscape.

Main Results:

  • Identified and characterized chimeric RNA profiles in normal cell lines.
  • Experimentally validated 17 chimeric RNAs across different classifications.
  • Demonstrated the ubiquitous expression pattern of validated chimeric RNAs in both cancer and non-cancer cells, including healthy donor blood.

Conclusions:

  • Chimeric RNAs are not exclusive to cancer and are prevalent in normal cells.
  • The study provides a comprehensive landscape of chimeric RNAs in non-neoplastic settings.
  • Validated chimeric RNAs represent potential biomarkers with broad expression patterns.
Keywords:
chimeric RNAfusion transcriptgene fusion

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